Chasing Pavements
by PlayTheGame
Summary: "He licked his lips, completely lost in the moment. 'Stephanie… Stephanie….' His voice was barely a whisper, his throat and chest tight. In his mind he was buried inside her and taking them both places they'd never been..." Randy Orton is plagued by thoughts of his friend and mentor's wife but is his carnal desire enough to push him over the edge? Orton/Steph/HHH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I have no idea where the hell this came from. It's probably down to these 3 being their awesome selves and that super awk yet adorable hug from Raw this week lol. This will be a 5 parter at the very most and I don't even know what it wants to be yet but here we go again. It's also primarily a Randy Orton story so yeah, there's that...enjoy...**

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**_Should I give up...or should I just keep chasing pavements...Even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste...Even if I knew my place...Should I leave it there?_**

He couldn't lie to himself any more. Yes, the thought had crossed his mind. More than once. Sometimes when he was lying in bed at night he would close his eyes and see things he shouldn't see. Maybe he'd been knocked over the head a few times too many. Maybe he was imagining things that weren't there. Maybe it was the way she smiled at him. Maybe it was just her and the fact that he couldn't deny his attraction to her if he tried. Not anymore. She was beautiful to the point that it took his breath away if he stared too long. But he was careful, because staring too long would get him caught. And he couldn't get caught. Not with thoughts like these.

Randy Orton sighed heavily and ran a hand over his weary face. It had taken him practically two years to work his way back to the top of the mountain. His tired blue eyes caught a glimpse of the shiny gold belt hanging over the black folding chair just an arm's length away. For the first time in three years he was once again WWE Champion and had been promised a run at the top heading into Wrestlemania. And truthfully he thought that he deserved it. He took his punishment without complaint, he went to Smackdown without complaint, he lost to Sheamus, Barrett, Henry, everybody and anybody without a hostile word and he was happy to do it. Not too long ago he had reached the conclusion that losing wasn't going to kill his career. He was too over. That wasn't ego talking either, it was just a fact. A few years ago a wise man and a good friend told him that he had reached the promised land with the fans. They were going to cheer him no matter what. At times it was frustrating, especially now when he was trying to get heat. But he wasn't alone. He had The Shield out there backing him up most nights and he had the man who had been his mentor basically from day one; he had Hunter. But Paul had come to mean so much more to him than a mentor. When he was young and stupid, Paul was the voice of reason trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. When he was high on drugs and wasting his life away, it was Paul's disappointed stare that cut deepest. When he had his daughter, it was Paul who straight up told him that he couldn't afford to be an idiot anymore. When he got suspended for the second time, it was Paul who broke the news. When he was going through his divorce, it was Paul who was his sounding board. From the second he was called to the main roster, Paul had been the one constant, the guiding hand along the way. He always believed in him no matter how many times he screwed up and that was something Randy valued more than most things in this world. He respected Paul, hell; he probably even loved him a little bit, like an older brother. He could always count on that reassurance and support when he needed it. That's why his recent thoughts cut him like a knife. He let out another heavy sigh and got to his feet, his tired limbs aching from the exertion. Tiny drops of sweat rolled from his taut abs into the black material of his trunks.

"Shower," he called to himself. The show had ended around two hours ago but he was still here, trapped with his sinful desires. He kicked off his boots and removed the rest of his gear before heading to the cubicles. As the hot stream of water hit his tight shoulders he instantly let out a satisfied groan. The steam created a sizzling cloud around his form and he revelled in how good it felt as his body started to unwind. He pressed his forearm against the wall and leaned against it, his eyes slipping shut. Being in front of a live audience was a thrill like no other but when the match was over and you were left alone at the end of the night, when the adrenaline wore off, it hit you like a ton of bricks. Right now, Randy could feel each brick pelting into him making him feel heavy. He grew distracted and out of nowhere his mind had drifted to a place he forbade himself to go yet he couldn't seem to stay away from. She flashed through his brain in all manner of inappropriate forms. Her hair, her face, her deep blue eyes. Her endless legs, her tight ass, the curve of her hips. Fuck it was happening again. The blood began to beat in his ears as it rushed between his legs. He couldn't stop himself as his hand reached down and took his growing erection into his grasp.

"Shit," Randy groaned, his hand slowly beginning to pump. The feel of the water on his skin and the tight pulls of his hand combined with the image of her bent over and waiting for him enticed a guttural reaction. He rolled his thumb around his tip, now imagining her on her knees before him, those big blue eyes looking up seductively as she took him into her mouth. His mouth grew dry and with that thought dominating his mind, he gave in and began to push his hips forward, his body and hand working together to provide as much gratification as possible. She was straddling him now, her gaze locked with his as she lowered herself and took him inside her, her hips rocking into his over and over. He began to lose it, his heavy moans and groans mixing with the water as it beat into the tiled floor.

He licked his lips, completely lost in the moment. "Stephanie….fuck, Stephanie…." His voice was barely a whisper, his throat and chest tight. In his mind he was buried inside her and taking them both places they'd never been. He could her hear screams, her calling his name. It was incredible. His hand was pumping vigorously now, seconds from climax. His head lightly smacked against the wall as he let go, a sudden weight lifting from his shoulders as his hips quivered, riding out the wave of pleasure that engulfed him.

"Jesus," was all he could muster as he turned and rested his back against the wall. From such a high he was now experiencing a horrible low as the guilt set in. The first time he had these thoughts he laughed them off. The second time he ignored it. The third, fourth and fifth times it started to scare him. Now it was past the point of being able to be controlled. Thinking about her was one thing. What he had done tonight was act on those thoughts. It may have been a private act but it still happened. He wanted her enough to touch himself in an arena where just a few hours ago he had stood side by side with both her and a certain somebody else. Randy's eyes shut in despair. What was he supposed to do when he had just got off on the mental image of fucking another man's wife? And not just any man. Paul was his friend and mentor. Paul was his boss. Paul was Stephanie's husband.


	2. Chapter 2

Randy's heavy footsteps sounded throughout the empty hall as he made his way towards Hunter's makeshift office. It was time to shoot some backstage segments for later in the show. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and pushed the dangerous thoughts swirling around in his head as far away as he could manage. It had been almost two weeks since his little escapade in the shower. Since then it had only grown worse. Every night he lay there thinking about her. He simply couldn't get her out of his mind. His big hand lifted to rap on the door and he pushed inside, his chest immediately growing tight upon seeing who was inside.

"Randy! Come on in."

Stephanie. She was alone. His eyes darted nervously, flitting around the room looking for her husband but he was nowhere to be found. It was just the two of them.

"Although I wouldn't get too comfortable. I'm sorry I couldn't find you to tell you earlier but something came up in HQ and Paul's on the phone trying to avert a disaster from happening," Stephanie let out a frustrated sigh. Her husband worked so hard that sometimes it stopped him from working. Go figure that one out. "I don't know how long he's going to be and we obviously can't shoot without him so…"

Her sentence trailed off and it was only then that Randy realised she had stopped talking. He hadn't heard a single word she said just now, his mind too busy trying to check her out and not get caught. She was wearing a smart black dress and he more than welcomed the change from the usual pant suits. Her legs were distracting the hell out of him. He wanted nothing more than to just reach out and run his fingers over her skin.

"Randy?"

"Uhhh, yeah?" He chastised himself for letting his head wander. She was looking at him strangely. Very strangely.

"Is everything okay?"

Randy cleared his throat and plastered a smile on his face. "Of course! Sorry I was just…daydreaming. What were you saying?"

"That's fine," Stephanie chuckled. "I wish I had the time to daydream today. What a mess. And that's just what I was telling you. We have a problem in Stamford and Paul is dealing with it on the phone so we can't shoot until he's done. I couldn't get somebody to tell you on time so you've basically wasted a trip. Sorry!"

He got to see her. And they were alone. This was far from a wasted trip. Randy's stomach knotted as she shrugged her shoulders and smiled cutely at him. The slight movement caused the lightest scent of her perfume to drift up his nose and he had to fight with himself not to touch her. He wanted to touch her with everything he had and it was killing him right now. "It wasn't a wasted trip, Steph. It gives us a chance to catch up. Ummm…how are you? How are the….girls?" He sounded like such a fucking loser but he needed her to stay, he needed to be around her for as long as possible. If that meant talking about her kids then so be it.

Stephanie's eyes lit up at the mention of her children. She sat down on the padded leather sofa and motioned for him to do the same. A little break for some mindless chatter was exactly what she needed right now. God knows things were only going to get hectic later tonight. Live TV was never easy. "They're great! Everybody's great, Randy, thanks for asking. Aurora is really taking off with her ballet and gymnastics and we think Murphy's going to follow in her footsteps. Vaughn's just Vaughn," she giggled warmly over her youngest. "She's still too young to be doing anything and mostly just follows her sisters around. And how about you, how is your daughter?"

"She's great. Growing like a weed. She's getting big, it's hard to keep up," he half joked. "I miss her a lot." Being on the road was tough. Things may have fallen apart with his ex-wife but he still loved his daughter to pieces. He missed her every day. It was an endless panging in his gut. As his eyes rose from the floor and locked with Stephanie's, he realised he might have an even deeper endless panging in his gut. Her blue eyes were gentle as she gave him her undivided attention. Stephanie was always like that. Whenever she talked to you she truly listened. Her gaze was attentive but right now it was making him feel a mixture of uncomfortable and aroused. He shifted awkwardly, opening his legs slightly so his pants didn't feel so tight.

"We're so lucky. I'm thankful every day that we have the resources to travel and be able to fly home the same day if we need to," Stephanie sympathised. She was speaking from her own personal experience but also that of her husband's too. She knew how much it meant to both him and their children that he was able to fly home whenever he wanted. She honestly didn't know how they'd cope if he couldn't. "I don't know how Paul would survive if he couldn't take the jet to be home if they get sick or if they need him for school or if he just wants to see them and can fit it in his schedule."

Randy's heart sank at the mention of the other man's name. Paul was as real as it got. He wasn't some work of fiction or some guy he'd never have to see again. Paul was his boss, his friend. That's why he could never act on his feelings. That's why he couldn't reach across, cup her cheek and kiss her until he couldn't breathe anymore. He wanted it more than anything in the world and the longer he sat there, the closer he got to doing it. He simply couldn't suppress this any longer. He _needed_ to touch her. But he was stuck in this eternal purgatory, chasing a woman he could never have. It would ruin his career not to mention ruin a near decade long friendship he had truly come to cherish.

"Randy are you sure you're okay? You're acting a little…off, today?" Stephanie questioned. He had a faraway look on his face although if she wasn't mistaken, his eyes definitely seemed to soften whenever he looked at her and this wasn't the first time she had noticed it either. A few weeks ago she had caught him staring at her, his eyes practically smouldering as they looked her over. Now he was doing it again right to her face. She didn't even want to contemplate what that meant.

"Yeah…..yeah, it's just…" Fuck it. He had to do something. He simply couldn't take it anymore. His hand was just about to rest on her knee as he scooted closer to her on the couch when the door flung open almost causing him to jump out of his skin.

"Fucking idiots! I swear I've never wanted to fire somebody more in my life. Jesus Christ," Paul fumed as he practically stalked into the room, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Stephanie kept one eye on her furious husband and the other on the man sitting next to her on the couch, the man whose face had all of a sudden turned a nice shade of white. She wasn't sure what the hell he had been about to say and more than that, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. Her suspicious eyes gave Randy the once over, making sure to look at him long enough to let him know she was wary of him before she got to her feet and ignored him, her attention falling fully on her irate husband. "Paul calm down. We need to shoot the pre-tapes but it can wait until later if you…"

"I'm sorry," Paul blew out a heavy puff of air and gave her a lingering kiss, enjoying the feel of her thumb running circles around the back of his hand. He spied Randy sitting on the couch staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world and frowned. "Alright, Randy?"

"Yeah, man." He got to his feet and forced himself to look Paul in the eye. "You seem kinda busy here though…maybe I should come back and we can do this later?"

"No, no. It's fine just….give me a minute and we can start. Actually I'll go cool off while I grab the camera guys again, yeah?" Paul directed the end of his statement to his wife and upon her nod of approval quickly stepped out of the room.

Randy inhaled deeply. He was alone with her again.

"Randy?" Stephanie called his name, waiting for him to look at her but she wasn't prepared for the expression on his face when he finally did. His eyes were both dark yet warm and it sent an anxious shiver down her spine. She wasn't stupid or naïve to her own beauty. She knew men found her attractive. It was something that had followed her all her life. She had also suspected that Randy may have always had something of a school boy crush on her going right back to the Evolution days. But the way he was looking at her right now was anything but harmless. And he was anything but a boy. She swallowed nervously, automatically taking a step away from him. Away from what? She didn't know. She just had the distinct feeling that whatever the hell was going on right now wasn't a good thing. What scared her even more was the fact that she was intrigued. "Randy….."

"Shhhh," he whispered, his hand reaching up to allow his thumb to caress her lower lip. Her eyes slid shut and he felt an overwhelming surge of adrenaline shoot through his body. He had touched her and she hadn't pushed him away. What did it mean? Her blue eyes slowly opened, staring into his but they gave nothing away. Her expression was unreadable. He didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do. But what he wanted to do and what he should do weren't exactly the same thing.

Before he had a chance to act, the decision was taken from him as Paul returned with a handful of camera guys who immediately started setting up for the shoot. Everything around him began to buzz with activity but he barely felt it. The only thing he could feel, the only thing he could see, was her. And it was like a bullet to the chest when she turned from him like nothing had happened and started directing one of the sound techs.

"You know your lines, Randy or do you need a script to have a quick run over them?"

Paul's deep voice cut through the confusion clouding his head and Randy smiled absently, the smile not quite fully reaching his eyes. "I'm….I think I'm good." He needed to focus and Stephanie was acting like he wasn't even in the room. "We can just shoot again if I fuck up, right?"

Paul grinned at the younger man and slapped him on the back. "Sure! But if anybody's going to fuck up today it'll be me. My head's just about ready to explode so I'll go ahead and apologize to everybody in case this takes longer than usual."

Paul and Randy took up position for the shot, a few of the camera men let out a loose chuckle at their boss's words and Stephanie stood off camera silently surveying the scene. She had no fucking idea what the hell had been happening when it had just been her and Randy in here alone and what's more, she had no fucking clue how she felt about it. She should be outraged. She should be telling her husband right now. She should have slapped the taste out of his mouth. But why? All he had done was hold her cheek and stroke her lip. So help her she was desperate to know what had possessed him to do that, to touch her the way he had when her husband could have walked in at any second. It had only happened a few short minutes ago and was already driving her insane. She glanced across the room and for the first time in a long time her gaze didn't settle upon her husband right away. Instead it fell upon the man next to him as she wrecked her brain trying to figure out what the hell was going on.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - I don't know what the fuck this is anymore so yeah...enjoy lol...**

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The sound of heels clacking against the ground didn't register in Randy's head as he continued to play with his lunch. Flakes of tuna and lettuce hung from the end of the dangling fork in his big hand. He was hungry but he wasn't. He was focused for the show tonight but yet distracted at the same time. This thing with Stephanie was driving him insane. Who the hell was he kidding? There was no thing with Stephanie. He was starting to think he had imagined what had happened between them last week. And really, what had actually happened? He had touched her cheek and then…..nothing. His stomach flipped nervously at the thought of seeing her again. Seven days. Exactly seven days had passed since he had seen her last. Monday's were coming to have a whole new meaning for him. It was the only day he got a chance to spend any time with her. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the person calling his name until they lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Randy!"

"Sorry…yeah?" His blue eyes took in the petite woman standing before him. If he wasn't mistaken she was one of Stephanie's runners. His chest began to grow tight.

"Stephanie wants to see you in her office. I can show you if…."

"That's fine," he said already on his feet. "I know where I'm going." Randy left her standing in the dust as he quickly took off before realising what he was doing and slowing down. Jesus Christ. He was practically running down the hall. He had to get his shit together or people would start to catch on. Taking deep breaths, he walked at a normal pace, his expression calm, disinterested. The door was ajar when he arrived but he offered a polite knock before entering the room, subconsciously pushing the door closed as he stepped inside. The click of the lock echoed strangely between them as Stephanie looked up from her phone and caught his gaze. "Hey Steph."

"Randy."

He swallowed nervously. That was it? Randy? His feet took him further into the room so that they were standing facing one another. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did," Stephanie said simply. She had asked to see him although now that he was here she didn't know why. Or maybe she did? The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine. "Paul and my father were at a meeting this morning. They only just boarded the jet so it'll take them a while to get here."

Randy stared at her in confusion. Why was she telling him this? Why did he need to know that her husband wasn't in the building? If she were anybody else he would consider it an invitation. "Okay. So….what did you call me here for then?"

"I think you know." Stephanie cursed herself for even going through with this but last week had been engrained in her memory. She had to know. Maybe if he knew there was no possibility of Paul walking in on them he'd tell her the truth. God that sounded so sordid. Paul walking in on them. A deep pang of guilt almost made her lose her nerve. But she simply needed to know what this was and she couldn't do that with Paul in the vicinity or in her head. She pushed any and all thoughts of her husband away and focused on the man with her right now.

"Stephanie…" his voice trailed off. He couldn't believe this was happening. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"You seemed to think it was a good idea last week."

Her remark hit him like a ton of bricks. She knew. Fuck, she knew and she was confronting him about it. He was a fool to have expected anything less from her. Randy shook his head and sighed heavily. He had dreamed of this moment for months and now that it was finally happening the guilt and shame of actually doing something about it was too much for him to deal with. "Nothing happened last week."

"But you wanted it to."

"Yes, I wanted it to." His admission hung in the air like a sin at confession. His blue eyes were pained as he looked at her.

Stephanie felt her stomach churn. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. Why was she even having this conversation with him? Why was she happy that he wanted something to happen between them? She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to do.

"You have nothing to say?"

His question was expected yet she couldn't quite muster up an answer for him. "I don't know what to say. I….."

"Maybe you shouldn't say anything," he whispered as he took a step closer and brought his hand to her face. They were in the exact same position as last week only this time there wouldn't be an interruption. He scanned her eyes, searching desperately for…something….to tell him what to do. Permission? Rejection? But she just looked frozen, her eyes wide and expression neutral. Taking a chance, he dipped his head and ever so softly touched his lips to hers. The feeling was almost overwhelming. The fact that she didn't seem to be resisting only spurred him on and he pressed harder, his hands angling her head as his tongue flicked out to tease her lip. Her mouth opened and in an instant they were kissing deeply, tongues winding together and breathing heavily. Randy couldn't believe this was real but the feel of her hands stroking his neck was more than enough to make him believe. She was really here; she was really kissing him like this right now. They finally broke apart and he pulled away to find her standing there holding her fingers over her mouth.

Stephanie felt like crying. Her lips were still wet from his kiss. It both aroused and infuriated her at the same time. Her head was all over the place. She had just let another man kiss her and if she was being honest with herself, she had both enjoyed and wanted it. Her confused blue eyes met equally confused blue eyes and they both stared at each other, neither of them sure what to do next. The silence was deafening and felt like an eternity until the shrill ringing of a cell phone pierced the tense atmosphere in the room. Stephanie almost felt sick as her husband's name flashed across the screen. That was all it took for her to come to her senses. She ignored the call, unable to speak to him right now.

Randy didn't need her to tell him who the caller had been. The guilty expression was written all over her face and as Paul flashed through his mind, he too started to feel the guilt set in. He had just made out with his wife and the worst part about it all was that he would do it again in a heartbeat if she let him.

"I think you should go."

Her voice was nothing but a whisper and Randy's stomach clenched in fear. What did this mean? Did she want to see him again? He couldn't take it; he had to see her, to taste her again. He wanted more. He wanted all of her. "Don't…"

"Go, Randy. Just go."

She watched him turn and walk away, her heart sinking and tears beginning to well in her eyes. God she was a mess. What the hell was she doing? Over the course of the week she had accepted the fact that she was attracted to Randy. She was. She couldn't deny that. But why had she let that attraction become something physical? She had kissed him. She had let a man touch her intimately that was not her husband. Her gaze dropped to the sparkling rings on her left hand and a sharp pang engulfed her chest. Her cell phone began ringing again and all of a sudden she needed to hear Paul's voice. She accepted the call and brought the phone to her ear trying desperately not to sound like she was about to break down. "Hey."

"Hey. So I just got a call from the school, they're looking for us to come in sometime next week for a parent teacher thing. I thought I'd call so we can coordinate schedules."

Stephanie felt even worse at the mention of their children. Had she lost her fucking mind? She was married to an amazing man and they had three wonderful daughters together. Why had she let Randy Orton get to her, _kiss_ her? "Uhhh…yeah….we can….I'll get the guys to run over our schedules and get a time where we're both free."

"You okay?"

A half smile tugged at her lips. Even over the phone he knew when something was wrong. It was because they had built a life together. He knew everything about her and she couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to jeopardise everything they had for a moment's madness. Never again. "I'm fine."

"You sure, baby?" Paul had the distinct feeling that his wife had been crying, or was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sure. Just get here soon."

"Steph, you're worrying me."

"I'm just having a bad day. The sooner we can go home tonight the better."

"Okay. Keep your head up, I'll be there soon. And I love you if it helps any."

She smiled and choked back the sob threatening to burst out of her raw throat. "It helps a lot. I love you too. Bye" And she meant it. She loved him with her heart and soul. This thing with Randy, whatever the hell it was, wasn't worth risking her family for. It had been a mistake; a stupid mistake born out of her vanity. It wouldn't happen again. And Paul would never know. She couldn't risk him beating the shit out of the so called 'face' of the company. And more than that, she couldn't bear to see the look on his face if he ever found out.

Still standing outside the door, Randy clenched his fists in anger directed mostly at himself. This couldn't happen. He may have wanted it, Stephanie may have even wanted it, but too many people were set to get hurt. But as he walked dejectedly down the hall he knew in his heart that this wasn't going to go away, not when he could still feel her lips on his and the burning in his gut.


End file.
